Tubing hanger apparatus

ABSTRACT

A tubing hanger is run into the well on a setting tool and supports a dual tubing string when the hanger is set in the well casing. The setting tool is removed and a dual, full opening shutoff valve assembly is run into the well and seats in the tubing hanger. Control fluid pressure supplied from the top of the well holds the shutoff valves open. The dual shutoff valve is retrievable, and the tubing hanger is then retrievable by a retrieving tool.

United States Patent [1 1 Crowe 1 1 TUBING HANGER APPARATUS [75] Inventor: Talmadge L. Crowe, Houston, Tex.

[73] Assignee: Baker Oil Tools, Inc., Los Angeles,

Calif.

[22] Filed: July 28, 1972 [2]] Appl. No.: 275,911

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 243,806, April 13, 1972 Pat.

[52] US. Cl. 166/125, 166/212 [51] Int. Cl E2lb 23/00 [58] Field of Search 166/120, 125, 126, 130, 166/133, 134,138, 206, 208, 212, 216, 217; 294/8615 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1955 Baker et a1. 166/125 X 3/1959 Baker 166/212 [451 Aug. 20, 1974 3,631,927 l/l972 Young 166/134 Primary ExaminerWerner H. Schroeder Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bernard Kriegcl 5 7 ABSTRACT A tubing hanger is run into the well on a setting tool and supports a dual tubing string when the hanger is set in the well casing. The setting tool is removed and a dual, full opening shutoff valve assembly is run into the well and seats in the tubing hanger. Control fluid pressure supplied from the top of the well holds the shutoff valves open. The dual shutoff valve is retrievable, and the tubing hanger is then retrievable by a retrieving tool.

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1. In tubing hanger apparatus for supporting tubing which extends downwardly in the casing in a well bore: a body having passage means extending longitudinally therein and adapted to communicate with said tubing, anchor means carried by said body and expansible from an initially retracted condition into anchoring engagement with said well casing, and means for expanding said anchor means including an expander member, means shiftably connecting said body with said expander member for movement towards and away from one another, said anchor means including slip elements expansible upon movement of said body and said expander member towards one another and retractible upon movement of said body and said expander away from one another, said means shiftably connecting said body and said expander member including means for releaseably holding said tubing hanger body and said expander member in positions at which said slip elements are expanded, setting tool and means, means releasably connecting said setting tool means to said body and to said means shiftably connecting said body and said expander member for moving said body and said expander member towards one another and releasing said setting tool means when said sliP elements are expanded.
 2. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 1, said means shiftably connecting said body and said expander member comprising rod means connected to one of said body and said expander member and shiftably engaged with the other of said body and said expander member, and locking means for interlocking said rod means and said other of said body and said expander member when said slip elements are expanded, said setting tool means being released from said rod means when said slip elements are expanded.
 3. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 1, said means shiftably connecting said body and said expander member comprising rod means connected to one of said body and said expander member and shiftably engaged with the other of said body and said expander member, and locking means for interlocking said rod means and said other of said body and said expander member when said slip elements are expanded, said setting tool means being released from said rod means when said slip elements are expanded, and said setting tool means being releasable from said body when said setting tool means is released from said rod means.
 4. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 1, said setting tool means having means providing fluid communication between said setting tool means and said passage means in said body.
 5. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 1, said setting tool means having means providing fluid communication between said setting tool means and said passage means in said body, including flow tube and socket means disengageable upon release of said setting tool means from said means shiftably connecting said body and said expander member.
 6. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 1, means for biasing said body and said expander member one towards the other upon release of said setting tool means to maintain said slip elements expanded.
 7. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 1, said setting tool means comprising relatively reciprocable bodies releaseably connected to said body of said tubing hanger and said means shiftably connecting said tubing hanger body and said expander member, said setting tool bodies defining a pressure chamber therebetween, one of said setting tool bodies having a piston in said chamber, and means for admitting pressure fluid to said chamber to effect reciprocation of said setting tool bodies in one direction and move said tubing hanger body and said expander member towards one another.
 8. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 1, said setting tool means comprising relatively reciprocable bodies releasably connected to said body of said tubing hanger and said means shiftably connecting said tubing hanger body and said expander member, said setting tool bodies defining a pressure chamber therebetween, one of said setting tool bodies having a piston in said chamber, and means for admitting pressure fluid to said chamber to effect reciprocation of said setting tool bodies in one direction and move said tubing hanger body and said expander member towards one another and release said setting tool from said means shiftably connecting tubing hanger body and said expander member.
 9. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 1, said setting tool means comprising relatively reciprocable bodies releasably connected to said body of said tubing hanger and said means shiftably connecting said tubing hanger body and said expander member, said setting tool bodies defining a pressure chamber therebetween, one of said setting tool bodies having a piston in said chamber, and means for admitting pressure fluid to said chamber to effect reciprocation of said setting tool bodies in one direction and move said tubing hanger body and said expander member towards one another and release said setting tool from said means shiftably connecting tubing hanger body and said expander member, and including means operable upon release of said setting tool from said means shiftably connectIng said tubing hanger body and said expander for releasing said setting tool from said tubing hanger body.
 10. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 1, said means releasably connecting said setting tool means to said body and to said means shiftably connecting said body and said expander member comprising a frangible connection and a threaded connection, said threaded connection being engageable before said frangible connection upon connection of said setting tool means to said tubing hanger body and being releasable after said frangible connection is released to enable separation of said setting tool from said tubing hanger body.
 11. In tubing hanger apparatus for supporting tubing which extends downwardly in the casing in a well bore; a body having passage means extending longitudinally therein and adapted to communicate with said tubing, anchor means carried by said body and expansible from an initially retracted condition into anchoring engagement with said well casing, and means for expanding said anchor means including an expander member, means shiftably connecting said body with said expander member for movement towards and away from one another, said anchor means including slip elements expansible upon movement of said body and said expander member towards one another and retractible upon movement of said body and said expander away from one another, said means shiftably connecting said body and said expander member including means for releasably holding said tubing hanger body and said expander member in positions at which said slip elements are expanded, and retrieving tool means engageable with said tubing hanger body and operable to release said means for releasably holding said body and said expander member in positions at which said slip elements are expanded.
 12. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 11, said retrieving tool means comprising a tubular body adapted to be connected to a pipe string and to be run into the tubing hanger on said pipe string, said retrieving tool body having means engageable in said passage means of said tubing hanger to establish communication between said pipe string and said tubing.
 13. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 11, said retrieving tool means comprising a tubular body adapted to be connected to a pipe string and to be run into the tubing hanger on said pipe string, said retrieving tool body having means engageable in said passage means of said tubing hanger to establish communication between said pipe string and said tubing, and cooperative orienting means on said tubing hanger body and said retrieving tool means for guiding said means engageable on said passage means into the latter when said retrieving tool means is lowered into said tubing hanger body on said pipe string.
 14. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 11, said retrieving tool means including a body adapted to be connected to a pipe string and to be run into the tubing hanger on said pipe string, said retrieving tool body and said tubing hanger body having coengageable latch means for connecting said retrieving tool body to said tubing hanger body.
 15. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 11, said retrieving tool means including a body adapted to be connected to a pipe string and to be run into the tubing hanger on said pipe string, said retrieving tool body and said tubing hanger body having coengageable latch means for connecting said retrieving tool body to said tubing hanger body, said means for releasably holding said tubing hanger body and said expander in positions at which said slip elements are expanded being releasable upon an upward pull on said pipe string.
 16. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 11, said retrieving tool means including a body adapted to be connected to a pipe string and to be run into the tubing hanger on said pipe string, said retrieving tool body and said tubing hanger body having coengageable latch means for connecting said retrieving tool body to said tubing hanger body, said means for releasably holding said tubing hanger body and said expander in positions at which said slip elements are expanded being releasable upon an upward pull on said pipe string, and including a frangible connection.
 17. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 11, said retrieving tool means including a body adapted to be connected to a pipe string and to be run into the tubing hanger on said pipe string, said retrieving tool body and said tubing hanger body having coengageable latch means for connecting said retrieving tool body to said tubing hanger body, said means for releasably holding said tubing hanger body and said expander in positions at which said slip elements are expanded being releasable upon an upward pull on said pipe string, and including a frangible connection between said expander member and said means for releasably holding said tubing hanger body and said expander member in positions at which said slip elements are expanded.
 18. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 11, said retrieving tool means including a body adapted to be connected to a pipe string and to be run into the tubing hanger on said pipe string, said retrieving tool body and said tubing hanger body having coengageable latch means for connecting said retrieving tool body to said tubing hanger body, said means for releasably holding said tubing hanger body and said expander in positions at which said slip elements are expanded being releasable upon an upward pull on said pipe string, and including packer means on said retrieving tool body sealingly engageable with said casing to confine fluid between said pipe string and said casing to resist upward movement of said retrieving tool means and said tubing hanger upon release of said means for releasably holding said tubing hanger body and said expander member in said positions at which said slip elements are expanded.
 19. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 11, said retrieving tool means including a body adapted to be connected to a pipe string and to be run into the tubing hanger on said pipe string, said retrieving tool body and said tubing hanger body having coengageable latch means for connecting said retrieving tool body to said tubing hanger body, said means for releasably holding said tubing hanger body and said expander in positions at which said slip elements are expanded being releasable upon an upward pull on said pipe string, and including packer means on said retrieving tool body sealingly engageable with said casing to confine fluid between said pipe string and said casing to resist upward movement of said retrieving tool means and said tubing hanger upon release of said means for releasably holding said tubing hanger body and said expander member in said positions at which said slip elements are expanded, said setting tool means having means for providing a passage by passing said packer means following release of said slip elements from said casing.
 20. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 11, said retrieving tool means including a body adapted to be connected to a pipe string and to be run into the tubing hanger on said pipe string, said retrieving tool body and said tubing hanger body having coengageable latch means for connecting said retrieving tool body to said tubing hanger body, said means for releasably holding said tubing hanger body and said expander in positions at which said slip elements are expanded being releasable upon an upward pull on said pipe string, and including packer means on said retrieving tool body sealingly engageable with said casing to confine fluid between said pipe string and said casing to resist upward movement of said retrieving tool means and said tubing hanger upon release of said means for releasably holding said tubing hanger body and said expander member in said positions at which said slip elements are expanded, said setting tool means having means for providing a passage by passing said packer means foLlowing release of said slip elements from said casing, including a bypass passage in said retrieving tool body above said packer means, valve means normally closing said bypass passage, means releasably holding said valve means in its normal position, said valve means being shiftable to a position at which said latter passage iw open and being responsive to fluid pressure in said pipe string to be moved from said normal position.
 21. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 11, said retrieving tool means including a body adapted to be connected to a pipe string and to be run into the tubing hanger on said pipe string, said retrieving tool body and said tubing hanger body having coengageable latch means for connecting said retrieving tool body to said tubing hanger body, said coengageable latch means comprising a shoulder on said tubing hanger body, normally retracted latch elements on said retrieving tool, and means on said tubing hanger body and on said retrieving tool body for expanding said latch elements into engagement with said shoulder.
 22. In tubing hanger apparatus for supporting tubing which extends downwardly in the casing in a well bore: an upper body having means providing a receptacle for a valve assembly at the upper end of said upper body, said body having a flow passage therethrough for establishing communication with the valve assembly, an expander member below said upper body, conduit means extending reciprocably through said expander member and connectable to said tubing for establishing communication between said tubing and said flow passage through said upper body, a lower body below said expander member, a rod extending reciprocably through said upper body and said expander member and connected to said lower body, normally retracted slip elements between said upper body and said expander member, said upper body and said expander member and said slip elements having opposed expander surfaces for expanding said slip elements outwardly into anchoring engagement with the well casing, setting tool means including relatively reciprocable parts respectively connected to said upper body and to said rod, fluid pressure responsive means for relatively shifting said setting tool parts to move said lower body towards said upper body and expand said slip elements, and means for releasing said setting tool parts from said upper body and said rod when said slip elements are expanded.
 23. In tubing hanger apparatus for supporting tubing which extends downwardly in the casing in a well bore: an upper body having means providing a receptacle for a valve assembly at the upper end of said upper body, said body having a flow passage therethrough for establishing communication with the valve assembly, an expander member below said upper body, conduit means extending reciprocably through said expander member and connectable to said tubing for establishing communication between said tubing and said flow passage through said upper body, a lower body below said expander member, a rod extending reciprocably through said upper body and said expander member and connected to said lower body, normally retracted slip elements between said upper body and said expander member, said upper body and said expander member and said slip elements having opposed expander surfaces for expanding said slip elements outwardly into anchoring engagement with the well casing, retrieving tool means including means connectable to said upper body, said rod and said upper body having lock means coengageable when said slip elements are expanded to connect said rod to said upper body, and a releasable connection between said rod and said lower body providing means separable upon upward movement of said retrieving tool to release said rod from said lower body to allow retraction of said slip elements.
 24. In tubing hanger apparatus for supporting tubing which extends downwardly in the casing in a well bore: an upper body having means providing a receptacle for shut off valve means, anchor means including slip elements and expander means for expanding said slip elements into engagement with said casing from initially retracted positions, a connector member reciprocably spanning said expander and reciprocable relative to said upper body, and a lower body connected to said connector member and engageable with said expander means to expand said slip elements in response to an upward pull on said connector member, and means defining a flow passage between said receptacle and said lower body to connect said tubing to said shut off valve means.
 25. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 24, said connector member and said upper body having cooperable lock means for preventing downward movement of said lower body relative to said upper body to hold said slip elements expanded.
 26. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 24, said connector member and said upper body having cooperable lock means for preventing downward movement of said lower body relative to said upper body to hold said slip elements expanded, and resilient means interposed between said lower body and said expander means to bias said expander member towards said upper body.
 27. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 24, said connector member and said upper body having cooperable lock means for preventing downward movement of said lower body relative to said upper body to hold said slip elements expanded, and including releasable means connecting said connector member to said lower body releasable upon further upward movement of said upper body to allow said upper body to move upwardly relative to said lower body and to release said slip elements.
 28. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 24, said connector member and said upper body having cooperable lock means for preventing downward movement of said lower body relative to said upper body to hold said slip elements expanded, and including releasable means connecting said connector member to said lower body releasable upon further upward movement of said upper body to move upwardly relative to said lower body and to release said slip elements, said releasable means comprising a frangible connection between said connector member and said lower body.
 29. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 24, said means defining a flow passage comprising a tubular member connected to said upper body and extending slidably through said lower body.
 30. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 24, said connector member comprising a rod connected to said lower body member and slidably extending through said upper body and said anchor member.
 31. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 24, said tubing hanger having a plurality of said flow passages between said receptacle and said lower body to connect said tubing to plural shut off valve means.
 32. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 24, said upper body having an inclined guide surface and a key slot providing means for orienting said shut off valve means relative to said flow passage for communication therebetween.
 33. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 24, said expander means comprising an upper expander member and a lower expander member having opposed inclined faces, and said slip elements being carried by said expander members and having opposed companion inclined surfaces, whereby said slip elements are expanded outwardly upon movement of said expander members towards one another.
 34. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 24, said expander means comprising an upper expander member and a lower expander member having opposed inclined faces, and said slip elements being carried by said expander members and having opposed companion inclined surfaces, whereby said slip elements are expanded outwardly upon movement of said expander members towards one another, said upper expander member being carried by said upper body, said lower expander member being shiftable towards said upper expander upon upward movemeNt of said lower body towards said upper body.
 35. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 24, said expander means comprising an upper expander member and a lower expander member having opposed inclined faces, and said slip elements being carried by said expander members and having opposed companion inclined surfaces, whereby said slip elements are expanded outwardly upon movement of said expander members towards one another, said expander members being substantially square in cross section and said slip elements being substantially chordal in form and located on the four sides of the expander members.
 36. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 24, said expander means comprising an upper expander member and a lower expander member having opposed inclined faces, and said slip elements being carried by said expander members and having opposed companion inclined surfaces, whereby said slip elements are expanded outwardly upon movement of said expander members towards one another, said expanders being substantially square in cross section and said slip elements being substantially chordal in form and located on the four sides of the expander members and having longitudinally spaced sets of teeth extending substantially circumferentially continuously about said expander members.
 37. In tubing hanger apparatus as defined in claim 24, said upper body having means in said receptacle engageable by setting tool and retrieving tool means for running and retrieving said tubing hanger and engageable by latch means of a shut off valve assembly for retaining the latter in place.
 38. In an anchor for a well tool for supporting the tool in a well casing, said tool including an upper body, a lower body, means supporting said bodies for movement towards and away from one another, anchor means between said body including circumferentially spaced slip elements each having teeth thereon engageable with the casing, and upper and lower expander members interconnected with said slip elements and moveable towards one another by said bodies to expand said slip elements from normally retracted positions into anchoring engagement with said casing: the improvement wherein said slip elements have at least three longitudinally spaced inclined surfaces at least two of which are inclined oppositely to at least one other of said inclined surfaces, one of said expander members has at least two longitudinally spaced expander surfaces engageable with said at least two inclined surfaces and, the other expander member has another expander surface engageable with said other inclined surface.
 39. In an anchor as defined in claim 38, said slip elements having said teeth in longitudinally spaced sets aligned with said expander surfaces.
 40. In an anchor as defined in claim 38, said expander members being substantially square in cross section, and said slip elements being substantially chordal in form and located on the four sides of said expander members, said teeth extending substantially circumferentially continuously about said slip elements.
 41. In an anchor as defined in claim 38, said expander members being substantially square in cross section, and said slip elements being substantially chordal in form and located on the four sides of said expander members, said teeth extending substantially circumferentially continuously about said slip elements, said slip elements having said teeth in longitudinally spaced sets aligned with said expander surfaces. 